The Fashion Jewelry

Not everyone realizes that while Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis owned and wore some of the finest gems in the world, she was also a great fan of costume jewelry. Many of the classic photographs of her show her wearing what were then relatively inexpensive costume pieces. It’s The Fashion Jewelry section of the catalog that features many of the strands of faux pearls that she made so famous.

The first “fashion jewel” in the catalog is the triple strand of faux pearls with an Art Deco style clasp that Mrs. Kennedy wore in the White House. The photograph of the necklace is accompanied by a 1962 shot of Jackie holding her then two-year-old son. He’s playing with a strand of the necklace as she tilts her head back, laughing. It’s a tender photograph, an almost idyllic glimpse of motherhood. This famous necklace was estimated at $500-$700, a low-ball price even if the pearls were made of paste. It sold for $211,500.

Though Jackie wore costume jewelry, a good deal of it was designer costume jewelry. There’s a signed Valentino brooch in the shape of a large crab with a faux topaz body and faux pavé diamond legs; a gilt metal cross by Christian Lacroix; simple “silvered metal balls” earclips by Yves Saint Laurent; and faux emerald and diamond earclips by Chanel.

One of the things that becomes clear from the catalog photographs was that Jackie had no qualms about wearing costume jewelry for even the most important occasions. There’s a photo of her speaking with France’s President Charles de Gaulle, during the Kennedys’ 1961 trip to Paris. Mrs. Kennedy is wearing a simple white dress and what Sotheby’s describes as a “black ‘stone’ bead double strand necklace.” She also wore this necklace on the day her husband announced his candidacy and while they were in the White House. It wasn’t a fancy piece, and I’m guessing the beads were made of glass, but somehow it accented her white dress perfectly. Sold with a single black earclip (the other earring must have gone missing), the set was estimated as being worth $200-$300. A true piece of history, it sold for $101,500.

The catalog also offers two pairs of earrings, shaped to look like miniature conch shells. One pair, little pearlescent conches with gilt accents, was designed by Kenneth Jay Lane, who was known for his fabulous fakes. Jackie is shown wearing them in 1967 as she and Caroline gazed at the naval carrier, The U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, which Caroline had just christened. This pair of earclips, along with a second pair in a similar design, were estimated at $400-$600 and sold for $25,300. Other pieces were not quite so historic and yet carried Jackie’s charm. An ebony and ivory beaded necklace along with two ivory cuff bracelets and a pair of ivory cabochon earrings were estimated at $500-$700 and sold for $14,950. A choker made of four twisted strands of gold pearls, black pearls, and round crystal beads—all simulated— along with a pair of faux pearl earclips, was estimated at $150-$250 and sold for $17,250. Another necklace, a single strand of fake hematite beads with gilt roundels had an estimated worth of $150-$250 and sold for $13,800. Two strands of melon-shaped green glass beads—on Jackie, they probably were assumed to be emeralds--along with a pair of earrings, were valued at $300-$400 and sold for $20,700.